Better forewarning kept cyclone death toll low

TWENTY-TWO lives lost is always 22 too many. But the death toll following cyclone Phailin’s lashing of the Bay of Bengal last weekend is a vast improvement on the 10,000 lost to a cyclone in the area in 1999, and an estimated 300,000 in 1970. Better forewarning, better preparation and better evacuation were the deciding factors this time.

“Overall, it’s a success story in terms of saving lives,” says Tom Mitchell of the Overseas Development Institute in London, who co-authored a report this week on the impact of natural disasters on poor people. He says that, this time, the warnings were early enough to give the authorities time to organise the evacuation of 800,000 people.

Despite the lives saved, Phailin still devastated property, leaving 500,000 homeless. Rehousing work will become more daunting because the Bay of Bengal is likely to experience more frequent and severe tropical storms as the climate continues to change.